Protect Our Rivers

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California Proposition 1, the Water Bond (Assembly Bill 1471) is a $7.12 billion package that, upon voter approval in November, will support a host of river restoration, water conservation and recycling, groundwater cleanup and water supply projects.

The future of 2.6 million acres of high value public forest lands is at risk. Managed mainly by the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon known as Oregon and California (“O&C”) lands, these forests are home to perhaps the highest concentrations of pristine wild rivers in the United States. Watersheds such as the Rogue, Illinois, Umpqua, and McKenzie support abundant fish and wildlife, including elk, black-tail deer, back bear and the healthiest wild salmon and steelhead runs south of Canada.

The purpose of the Nooksack River Recreation Plan (NRRP) is to provide guidance and clear recommendations for managing recreation use in the upper watersheds while at the same time protecting and restoring streamside and riverine habitat for fish and wildlife.

American Rivers and partners are working to protect new rivers with Wild and Scenic designation, including rivers in the North Cascades, Olympic Peninsula, and the Rogue. They are outstanding rivers with special fish and wildlife habitat, clean water, and recreation opportunities for future generations.

Communities in 19 states, working in partnership with non-profit organizations and state and federal agencies, removed 65 dams in 2012, American Rivers announced today. Outdated or unsafe dams came out of rivers across the nation, restoring 400 miles of streams for the benefit of fish, wildlife and people across the country.

River restoration can be a win-win situation, inviting nature back in to become the centerpiece of a thriving community. In the city of Oakley, river ecology has sparked a community's interest and engagement.

American Rivers is working with the Yakama Indian Nation and conservation partners at the National Wildlife Federation, The Wilderness Society, Trout Unlimited, and others to negotiate a comprehensive package of large scale fish passage, habitat restoration and protection, and water management improvements to restore abundant Yakima River salmon and steelhead in a way that earns the lasting support of the Yakama Nation, local farmers, and local communities.

Meadows are critical to the larger watershed because of their unique hydrologic and ecological functions. They store spring floodwaters and release cool flows in late summer; they filter out sediment and pollutants, produce high-quality forage and provide habitat for rare and threatened species. American Rivers is currently working on the critical needs of our Sierra Meadows through several different projects.

In California, at least 80% of the historic spawning and rearing habitat historically available to salmon and steelhead has been blocked by barriers. Our California program focuses on removing obsolete dams and other barriers to provide fish migration and restore more natural river conditions

American Rivers is providing funding to California State Parks through our National Partnership with the NOAA Community-based Restoration Program to look at the possibility of dam removal and river restoration to open up over 60 miles of Eel River to salmon. Dam removal would mean there would be no more barriers to salmon on the South Fork of the Eel River. The dam is also a liability and cost to California State Parks and California taxpayers so there would also be financial benefits to removal.

Kellogg Dam is located at the mouth of Kellogg Creek which is a tributary to the Willamette River in the City of Milwaukie, Oregon. The creek historically had populations of Coho salmon before the dam was constructed, but now this 16 foot high dam blocks passage for Coho and other salmonids. The City of Milwaukie plans to remove the dam as part of an effort to restore these historic Coho runs and to revitalize the Milwaukie riverfront for the local community. The removal will also include the restoration of the stream and lakebed upstream of the dam to create excellent habitat along cold water pools in this area.

The salmon and steelhead of the Snake River are magnificent creatures, traveling over 900 miles from the sea to spawn in Idaho's high mountain streams. Unfortunately, this icon of the region is threatened with extinction, due in large part to the effects of the four lower Snake River dams.

Flood risk is growing in the Central Valley because the current flood conveyance system is insufficient to contain existing or future floods. American Rivers is working to reduce risk, restore ecosystems through flood conveyance and appropriate land usage.

American Rivers is working to protect and restore the Delta for fish, birds, and people, and to provide sufficient water supply for the people of California through habitat restoration, flood management improvements, among other changes in operation.

American Rivers is working to integrate sustainable flood management strategies into the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan to protect Californians, restore native habitat, and enhance the reliability of upstream reservoirs.

The Yolo Bypass flood easement allows California to flood land in for public safety and ecological benefit. To expedite the habitat restoration and native species revival on the bypass American River is advocating for a controlled notch system on the Fremont Weir.

Through the relicensing of the Oroville Dam, American Rivers is helping to restore water flows and temperature, floodplain habitat, habitat for salmon and steelhead, and improve recreational opportunities along the Feather River.

American Rivers installed green infrastructure (raingarden, bioswale, and pervious concrete) to help eliminate runoff pollution before it reaches the Yuba River, spawning grounds for spring run Chinook salmon.

American Rivers is working to permanently protect Illabot Creek's free-flowing character, water quality and outstanding fish and wildlife values. Illabot Creek, a tributary to the Wild and Scenic Skagit River, provides crucial habitat for two of the Northwest's beloved icons - salmon and eagles.

American Rivers is working with a coalition of conservation and recreation groups to protect and designate nearly 30 miles of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and the entire 11-mile Pratt River as Wild and Scenic Rivers, as well as add 22,000 acres of new wilderness to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.

American Rivers is partnering with the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the Environmental Law Institute on a one-year project exploring the links between water efficiency and instream flows in the Colorado River basin.

The Northwest's magnificent rivers are the lifeblood of natural ecosystems and human communities. We cannot take our rivers and fresh water for granted. Climate change, population growth, and the increasing value of water as a marketable commodity have led to calls for new water supply reservoirs and more water withdrawals from rivers, both of which can devastate river ecosystems.

American Rivers is working to protect the Molalla Rivers, which is an important resource for clean water, and additionally is an important habitat for salmon, trout and steelhead, along with other species that are part of this river ecosystem. Additionally the river is an important place for river recreation.

Flowing from the high snowfields and glaciers of Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, and the Twin Sisters range in the North Cascades, the Nooksack River system is home to all five types of salmon, steelhead, bull trout, bald eagle, black bear, cougar, elk, and many other fish and wildlife species that need intact, wild places to survive. Whitewater rivers, incredible mountain views and old-growth forests provide world-class hiking, kayaking, and other recreation opportunities. Yet the majority of the Nooksack system remains unprotected

American Rivers is working with the Volcano Country Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition to protect 200 miles of rivers and streams in Southwest Washington's Volcano Country under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

The Sierra Water Trust project seeks to improve water quality and increase aquatic function and biodiversity in the Sierra Nevada Region through building capacity to use water rights acquisition as a tool for stream restoration, to examine watershed problems in a broader context and to use science to monitor and manage water availability and use in Sierra streams.